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B-21 Top Recommendation
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Remember 2009? Looking back, it was a year filled some remarkable events – Bitcoin was launched as the first cryptocurrency, "Miracle on the Hudson" pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger safely landed a disabled airliner on a NYC river and the iPhone 3 along with Windows 7 were released – but perhaps more memorable for wine lovers and collectors, the Wine Spectator declared the 2009 Bordeaux vintage "the best in years" rivalling the legendary 1961, while critic Robert Parker Jr. declared it "unquestionably the greatest Bordeaux vintage I have ever tasted," awarding no less than 18 wines with 100 pt. scores. Now entering their second decade of maturity, these top rated 2009 Bordeaux blends offer the "satisfying longevity" that is the litmus test of greatness according to Neal Martin of Vinous, drinking beautifully today and promising decades more of evolution and now available with the bonus of over 10 years of pristine cellaring at exceptional value pricing while they last.
Described as "a textbook growing season" by the Wine Enthusiast's Roger Voss, 2009 began warm and dry with early flowering and a healthy, uniform crop set, followed by a perfect balance of sun and rain for optimal ripening and finishing with dry, sunny Fall weather that was perfect for harvesting. Recalling their "seductive intensity of fruit and the luscious textures" upon release, Neal Martin points out the remarkable evolution of the 2009's over the last decade, declaring "I love the 2009 Bordeaux vintage" calling it "a smorgasbord of gorgeous wines" that "fulfill the promise heaped upon them at birth." Inside Bordeaux's Jane Anson recently described 2009 as "a brilliant vintage which will be going strong in 20, 30, 40 years," confirming the renowned Bordeaux expert's instinct "to trust terroir will come through in the end." Describing 2009 as "one of the greats" ten years on, Jeb Dunnuck declared "I'm happy to report that the wines deliver the goods," already offering "serious pleasure," with the top rated blends from even the smaller appellations promising long lives ahead, "proving you don't have to break the bank to have a classic, age-worthy Bordeaux."
Remaining "one of the most exciting vintages of the 21st century" according to James Suckling, these top scoring selections from the legendary 2009 vintage "deliver enjoyment in spades" according to Neal Martin, many ranging from smaller appellation to First Growths priced well below their release price and promising "a long way to go," according to Jane Anson. From a triumphant, terroir-reflective vintage of classic Bordeaux complexity that will continue to evolve over time, collectors and Bordeaux lovers know to act quickly to take advantage of these great deals and secure their stash of these top scoring 2009 Bordeaux before they're gone. |
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This is what the Medoc is all about. The freshness and delicacy of this wine in combination with its serious concentration and firm core are totally stunning. Time has already worked its magic and this is already delicious, but has decades in front of it. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)
100 points, James Suckling (Oct 2019)
Cedar, sandalwood, slate, liqourice, smoked earth, this is subtle, inches slowly through the palate, showcasing fine tannins that at first hide the depth and power in the wine, preferring instead to levitate above the palate. The more muscular cassis, bilberry, cocoa bean and pencil lead arrive as it opens up, and the Pauillac character becomes very clear. An utterly signature Lafite, at every moment the estate signature dominates the vintage character, and of all the First Growths in this tasting it performs the trick of gaining in power with every minute that it is open in the glass, suprising you with how much it builds and layers in complexity. True to itself, effortlessly confident, will stay on this plateau for many decades. 100% new oak, Charles Chevallier technical director.
99 points, Jane Anson (Aug 2022)
This wine is stunningly impressive but almost the opposite of the 2010 vintage. The year offered a warm, wet spring followed by a hot, dry summer and cool nights in September, giving a riper, more generous impression. A bit of smoke and spice on the initial attack with a ripe, plummy fruit character that is more black than red and a supple, dense richness on the palate that lingers sumptuously on the finish. This vintage will drink sooner than the 2010, yet should easily last as long. The finished wine is a blend of 82.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and a half-percent of Petit Verdot. Picking began in mid-September for the Merlot and early October for the Cabernet, with 45% of the fruit going into the grand vin.
99 points, Charles Curtis, Decanter (Feb 2022)
This is stunning for its ability to take massively endowed fig, currant paste and crushed plum fruit flavors and harness them with ultrasuave freshly roasted espresso, black tea and ganache notes. A seductive style, long and velvety, with the dense core of black fruit and smoldering iron just waiting and waiting. Best from 2020 through 2040.
98 points, James Molesworth, Wine Spectator (Mar 2012)
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